The Problem: Kerosene Burns

Accidents kill 3.5 million every year worldwide, and 9% of them are burns. The INGO ‘SAFE KIDS’ says that “Burns are the most devastating form of injury that one can sustain and survive” ; those who give burn care do agree.

They cause unimaginable misery, such as severe pain and the stench from infected wounds that may last over a month and the extensive scarring that follows. A family may break up if the wife’s face becomes severely scarred. When the face and neck are disfigured they shun people. “Doctor, why didn’t you let me die? What is the use of living like this?” is what many of them ask. Some times there is blindness and/or destruction of all the fingers. When that happens to the bread winner, the existing poverty is enhanced and the family is doomed. Those with extensive burns die after days or weeks of suffering, and for most of them it is indeed a solace!

There are photographs of burn patients in the photo gallery. Viewer discretion is recommended. The following clip is from a video filmed at the Ratnapura Hospital at the start of our prevention campaign 18 years ago.

Note:  The patient in the video is a genuine patient who happened to be brought in when we were doing the filming. We rushed there and got the scene on camera. “Will I die?” is what she is asking the nurse. That is the fear that many have! Our patient made a good recovery. Some others don’t!

Kerosene bottle lamp burns

Out of the 310,000 annual global burn deaths, 95% are from developing countries. Some of them are caused by kerosene used in homes lacking electricity. In Sri Lanka, only 80% of homes have this commodity. Out of the 1.5 billion kerosene users in the globe, some use cheap makeshift lamps that tip easily, causing fires and extensive burns. Excerpts from a few articles in Medical Journals:

	Journal ‘BURNS’ (1995): “In Mozambique, the home-made bottle lamp called ‘Xiphefo’ was responsible for most deaths”.
	Journal ‘BURNS’ (2008): “Burns caused by home made bottle lamps are a cause of major morbidity and mortality in developing countries”.
	THE WORLD REPORT ON CHILD INJURY PREVENTION’ by WHO and UNICEF (2008): “Millions of families use makeshift unsafe kerosene lamps posing a serious danger”.

Unsafe kerosene lamps

In Sri Lanka, a fifth of the 4.5 million families use kerosene for lighting as they do not have electricity. While some use safe lamps, others use makeshift ‘bottle’ lamps made out of empty medicine bottles and burnt out bulbs. Being narrow, tall and light in weight, they tip easily. As the wick holders are not of the ‘screw-on’ type, the flammable kerosene is then thrown out with the wick holder carrying the flame, causing extensive burns on a person seated near by. There are similar makeshift lamps in some other countries.

In certain African countries like Mozambique, Malawi and Rwanda, only 10-20% of homes have electricity. It is 60% in Nepal and 50% in Bangladesh.

In Sri Lanka	In Indonesia	In Bangladesh

In the photograph below, even the kerosene vapour is burning showing that kerosene is highly flammable.

When an unsafe lamp tips	A child at risk

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